December 2011 Grants Office Newsletter

Geographic Focus on Latin America: TINKER FOUNDATION INSTITUTIONAL GRANTS

DUE: MAR 1 SEP 15
WEB: http://foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/tinker/institutional_grants.html

To be considered for a Tinker Institutional Grant, a proposal must be submitted by an institutional entity and be geographically focused on Latin America. Topically, the projects should address one of the following categories: (a) Democratic Governance with Growth and Security; (b) Sustainable Resource Management; (c) Education. The Foundation has an additional interest in projects that explore U.S. policy toward Latin America and those that undertake scientific research or address policy and governance issues relating to Antarctica. Funds for these latter areas are more limited. Projects should have a strong public policy component, offer innovative solutions to problems facing these regions, and incorporate new mechanisms for addressing these programmatic areas. Activities may include, but are not restricted to, research projects, workshops and conferences related to the Foundation's areas of interest. The Foundation encourages collaboration among organizations in the United States and Latin America and prefers to fund those institutions that are actively engaged with external stakeholders in addressing an issue of concern.

NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Informational Webcast

We would like to alert you to the availability of the National Science Foundation (NSF) solicitation for the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, and an informational webcast to be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST. During the webcast, the FY 2012 MRI solicitation (NSF 11-503) will be discussed, and MRI program officers will interactively answer questions submitted by the online audience. Information on accessing and registering for the webcast will be posted prior to event on the MRI program website link at http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri/. Please spread the word!

The deadline for MRI proposal submissions is 5:00 p.m. (proposer's local time) on Thursday, January 26, 2012. Those interested in submitting proposals are encouraged to carefully review the solicitation, available through the program website link above, and to participate in the webcast.

Summary of the MRI Program: The MRI program is intended to strengthen the nation's academic research capabilities by providing opportunities to develop or acquire research instrumentation. The MRI program catalyzes new knowledge and discoveries by empowering the Nation's scientists and engineers with state-of-the-art research instrumentation. The MRI program enables research-intensive learning environments that promote the development of a diverse workforce and next generation instrumentation, as well as facilitates academic/private sector partnerships.

For more information on the MRI program: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5260

NIH AREA: Goals, Changes, and Tips Web Conference

Media Center, University Hall, Room 160
December 6, 2011
2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a new program announcement for the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA; R15), the agency's tailor-made mechanism for supporting excellent, smaller-scale research projects at colleges and universities that receive comparatively little NIH funding. The AREA program director, Erica Brown, will conduct an informative AREA overview, touching on the goals of the program, changes to the PA, and tips for writing a competitive proposal.

NEH Offers Funding for Teacher Workshops

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Education is accepting applications for Landmark Workshops for School Teachers. Awards range from $150,000 to $180,000 to support one-week, residence-based summer workshops for K-12 teachers. Applications are due by March 1, 2012.

The most important element is the specific humanities content of the project. The idea of place is also central, so proximity to a historical or culturally relevant site that will bring workshop participants in contact with significant primary sources is essential. Host institutions provide facilities conducive to scholarly research, discussion, and interaction. If an applicant's home institution is not an appropriate place to host a workshop, it is possible to conduct the program at a nearby institution.

Applications should address the significance of the subject and landmarks; the topics, questions, and readings that form the core of the intellectual conversation; and the qualifications of the humanities faculty who will lead the project. NEH encourages projects that investigate diverse traditions, represented by initiatives such as Bridging Cultures. "Such projects might explore the great variety of cultural influences on, and myriad subcultures within, American society. Projects might also investigate how Americans have approached and attempted to surmount seemingly unbridgeable cultural divides, or examine the ideals of civility and civic discourse that have informed this quest."

NEH staff will review and give feedback on draft proposals submitted at least four weeks before the deadline. Contact a program officer at landmarks@neh.gov or 202/606-8463 for additional information.

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY RESIDENT RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

DUE: MAR 1
WEB: http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/resident

The American Philosophical Society Library offers short-term residential fellowships for conducting research in its collections. The Library is a leading international center for research in the history of American science and technology and its European roots, as well as early American history and technology and its European roots, as well as early American history and culture. The Library houses over 11 million manuscript items, 350,000 volumes of printed materials, thousands of maps and prints, and more than a thousand hours of audio recordings of Native American languages.

ELIGIBILITY: The fellowships, funded by generous benefactors, are open to both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. Applicants may be: (a) Holders of the Ph.D. or its equivalent; (b) Ph.D. candidates who have passed their preliminary examinations; (c) Degreed independent scholars. Applicants in any relevant field of scholarship may apply. Candidates who live 75 or more miles from Philadelphia receive some preference.

FUNDING: A stipend of $2,500 per month is awarded for a minimum of one month and a maximum of three months. The duration of award is requested by the candidate, but the final decision is made by the Fellowship Committee. Fellowships may be taken any time beginning 1 June 2012 and must be completed by 31 May 2013. Fellows are required to be in residence at the Library for four to twelve consecutive weeks, depending upon the length of the award.

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY PHILLIPS FUND GRANTS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN RESEARCH

DUE: MAR 1
WEB: http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/phillips

The Phillips Fund of the American Philosophical Society provides grants for research in Native American linguistics, ethnohistory, and the history of studies of Native Americans, in the continental United States and Canada. Grants are not made for projects in archaeology, ethnography, psycholinguistics, or for the preparation of pedagogical materials. The committee distinguishes ethnohistory from contemporary ethnography as the study of cultures and culture change through time. The grants are intended for such costs as travel, tapes, films, and consultants' fees but not for the purchase of books or permanent equipment.

ELIGIBILITY: The committee prefers to support the work of younger scholars who have received the doctorate. Applications are also accepted from graduate students for research on masters theses or doctoral dissertations. The committee sometimes approves two awards to the same person within a five-year period.

FUNDING: The average award is about $2,500; grants do not exceed $3,500. Grants are given for one year following the date of the award.

DIRKSEN CENTER CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH AWARDS

DUE: MAR 1
WEB: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_CRAs.htm

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants to fund research on congressional leadership and the U.S. Congress. The Center, named for the late Senate Minority Leader Everett M. Dirksen, is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational organization devoted to the study of Congress and its leaders. Since 1978, the Congressional Research Awards (formerly the Congressional Research Grants) program has paid out $840,000 to support over 400 projects.

ELIGIBILITY: The competition is open to individuals with a serious interest in studying Congress. Political scientists, historians, biographers, scholars of public administration or American studies, and journalists are among those eligible. The Center encourages graduate students who have successfully defended their dissertation prospectus to apply and awards a significant portion of the funds for dissertation research. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who reside in the United States. The awards program does not fund undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study. Organizations are not eligible. Research teams of two or more individuals are eligible. No institutional overhead or indirect costs may be claimed against a Congressional Research Award.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES SUMMER SEMINARS AND INSTITUTES

DUE: MAR 1
WEB: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/seminars.html

These grants support faculty development programs in the humanities for school teachers and for college and university teachers. NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes may be as short as two weeks or as long as five weeks. The duration of a program should allow for a rigorous treatment of its topic.

NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes:
(a) extend and deepen knowledge and understanding of the humanities by focusing on significant topics, texts, and issues;
(b) contribute to the intellectual vitality and professional development of participants;
(c) build a community of inquiry and provide models of civility and excellent scholarship and teaching; and
(d) promote effective links between teaching and research in the humanities.

ELIGIBILITY: An NEH Summer Seminar or Institute may be hosted by a college, university, school system, learned society, center for advanced study, library or other repository, or a cultural or professional organization. The host site must be appropriate for the project, providing facilities for scholarship and collegial interaction. These programs are designed for a national audience of teachers.

FUNDING: NEH anticipates that awards for seminars will range between $70,000 and $140,000 for a grant period of twelve months. Awards for institutes range from $90,000 to $200,000 for a grant period of fifteen months.

Incentive to Use National Data in Institutional Research
The Association for Institutional Research is seeking applications for Improving Institutional Research in Postsecondary Educational Institutions, a program that provides professional development opportunities to institutional researchers, doctoral students, educators, and administrators, and fosters the use of federal databases for institutional research in postsecondary education. Research and dissertation grant applications are due by January 10, 2012.

Research grants provide faculty members and practitioners with up to $40,000 for one year of independent research. (Note that an affiliation with a postsecondary institution is required.) Dissertation grants provide up to $20,000 for one year of dissertation research conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor.

All applications must meet at least one of two criteria:

• Propose to use data from one or more of the national datasets of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) or the National Science Foundation (NSF); and/or
• Address the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative annual focus topic, which this year is "Exploring Postsecondary Non-Degree Programs." Research can focus on federal, state, or regional data and the use of NCES or NSF databases.

Research topics may cover a wide range of policy- or practice-related issues. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review funded proposals from previous competitions. Contact program manager Eric Godin at egodin@airweb.org for additional information.

AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION SMALL RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM

DUE: FEB 3
WEB: http://www.apsanet.org/content_9222.cfm

The APSA Small Research Grant Program supports research in all fields of political science. The intent of these grants is to support the research and further the careers of political scientists who are not employed at Ph.D. - granting departments in the field. Prior grant recipients have been able to publish several books and book chapters, journal articles, working papers, and conference presentations as the result of the grants. They also report benefits to students, who have been able to serve as co-authors or research assistants on the grant-funded projects. Several recipients were also able to use the APSA grant as "seed money" to gain additional funding.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be APSA members at the time of application and when the funds are dispersed. The principal investigator and any co-author must be one of the following: (1) A faculty member at a college or university that does not award a Ph.D. in political science, public administration, public policy, international relations, government, or politics, and whose primary appointment is in one of these departments; or (2) A political scientist not affiliated with an academic institution and is either (a) unemployed or (b) working in a research organization such as a think tank.

FUNDING: A small number of these grants are awarded annually by the Council on the basis of a peer review process. Individual grants may not exceed $2,500 and are not renewable.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION METHODOLOGY, MEASUREMENT, & STATISTICS PROGRAM

DUE: JAN 30 AUG 16
WEB: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5421
NSF-DOC: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf12510

The Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS) Program is an interdisciplinary program in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences that supports the development of innovative analytical and statistical methods and models for those sciences. MMS seeks proposals that are methodologically innovative, grounded in theory, and have potential utility for multiple fields within the social and behavioral sciences. As part of its larger portfolio, the MMS Program partners with a consortium of federal statistical agencies to support research proposals that further the development of new and innovative approaches to surveys and to the analysis of survey data. The MMS Program supports a variety of different types of awards, including: (a) Regular Research Awards; (b) Mid-Career Research Fellowships; (c) Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants; and (d) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Supplement.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACADEMIC LIAISON WITH INDUSTRY (GOALI)

DUE: anytime
WEB: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504699
NSF-DOC: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf12513
FUNDING: $5 million for 60-80 awards.

Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) promotes university-industry partnerships by making project funds or fellowships/traineeships available to support an eclectic mix of industry-university linkages. Special interest is focused on affording the opportunity for: (a) Faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students to conduct research and gain experience in an industrial setting; (b) Industrial scientists and engineers to bring industry's perspective and integrative skills to academe; and (c) Interdisciplinary university-industry teams to conduct research projects. This solicitation targets high-risk/high-gain research with a focus on fundamental research, new approaches to solving generic problems, development of innovative collaborative industry-university educational programs, and direct transfer of new knowledge between academe and industry. GOALI seeks to fund transformative research that lies beyond that which industry would normally fund.

Spencer Foundation Research Grant Program

Next Deadline: Feb 10, 2012
See http://www.spencer.org/content.cfm/research

Small Research Grants up to $40,000 help scholars and teachers in a broad range of academic institutions to pursue pilot research and the initial phases of larger investigations. Major Research Grants (no deadlines) support projects up to $500,000. Foundation focuses on five areas of interest: Education and Social Opportunity; Organizational Learning; Teaching, Learning, and Instructional Resources; Purposes and Values of Education; and Field-Initiated Proposals. Deadlines refer to required preliminary proposals for Small Research Grants; next deadline in December.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY SIGMA XI, THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SOCIETY GRANTS-IN-AID OF RESEARCH

DUE: MAR 15 OCT 15
WEB: http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/giar/

The Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research (GIAR) program has been providing undergraduate and graduate students with valuable educational experiences for more than 80 years. By encouraging close working relationships between students and faculty, the program promotes scientific excellence and achievement through hands-on learning.

ELIGIBILITY: Only undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in degree seeking programs may apply. Undergraduates who are graduating seniors must plan to complete their research prior to graduation. While membership in Sigma Xi is not a requirement for application, 75% of funds are designated for use by individuals whose primary advisors are Sigma Xi members or who are Sigma Xi student members themselves. US Citizenship and residence not required. International applications are welcome.

FUNDING: Grants amounts range from $400 to $1,000 (with an average award of $600) except for the following: (a) Astronomy: grants in this field are awarded up to a maximum of $5,000; (b) Vision Research: grants in this field are awarded up to a maximum of $2,500.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR) Social Science Division Student Travel Awards

The Social Science Division is offering a limited number of travel grants, up to $200 each, for undergraduate students presenting the results of research that they have conducted at a regional or national, discipline-specific meeting during the academic year 2011-12. Award recipients are required to acknowledge CUR for support of their travel in their talk or poster. After the meeting, a brief report about the experience is expected. Minority students are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Criteria: Undergraduate student must be a junior or senior, student's mentor must be a CUR member or the student's home institution must be a CUR institutional member, and student's home institution must match the travel grant. Applications for a travel grant to a spring 2012 meeting are now being accepted. Award decisions will be made on a first come, first serve basis.

For application requirements and more details visit: www.cur.org/socscistudenttravel.html

NSF Staffers Release Proposal Development Guide

Several program directors in the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education have developed a guide for applicants seeking support for undergraduate and graduate education programs. The document includes a summary of the funding opportunities available, proposal writing advice, insight into the review process, and additional resources, including examples of recently funded projects.

You can find the guide here: http://www.aascu.org/grc/Resources/NSFedRelatedprogBooklet080111.pdf

If it prompts you for an ID and password, please email me at kgray@aug.edu. Thank you!

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities

Due: March 6, 2012
http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/IATDH.html

These NEH grants support national or regional (multistate) training programs for scholars and advanced graduate students to broaden and extend their knowledge of digital humanities. Through these programs, NEH seeks to increase the number of humanities scholars using digital technology in their research and to broadly disseminate knowledge about advanced technology tools and methodologies relevant to the humanities. The projects may be a single opportunity or offered multiple times to different audiences. Institutes may be as short as a few days and held at multiple locations or as long as six weeks at a single site. For example, training opportunities could be offered before or after regularly occurring scholarly meetings, during the summer months, or during appropriate times of the academic year. The duration of a program should allow for full and thorough treatment of the topic.

Institute of Museum and Library Services Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums

Due: February 1, 2012
http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=19

The Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants program. These small grants encourage libraries, museums, and archives to test and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks Grants support the deployment, testing, and evaluation of promising and groundbreaking new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches that involve risk, as long as the risk is balanced by significant potential for improvement in the ways libraries and museums serve their communities. Successful proposals will address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to libraries, museums, and/or archives. A proposed project should test a specific, innovative response to the identified problem and present a plan to make the findings widely and openly accessible. To maximize the public benefit from federal investments in these grants, the Sparks Grants will fund only projects with the following characteristics: Broad Potential Impact-You should identify a specific problem or need that is relevant to many libraries, archives, and/or museums, and propose a testable and measurable solution. Proposals must demonstrate a thorough understanding of current issues and practices in the project's focus area and discuss its potential impact within libraries, archives, and/or museums. Proposed innovations should be widely adoptable or adaptable. Significant Innovation-The proposed solution to the identified problem must offer strong potential for non-incremental, significant advancement in the operation of libraries, archives, and/or museums. You must explain how the proposed activity differs from current practices or takes advantage of an unexplored opportunity, and the potential benefit to be gained by this innovation.

Mary Baker Eddy Library Fellowships

Next Deadline: Feb 06, 2012
See http://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/collections/fellowships/questions-answers

Awards fellowships to scholars and other researchers for research in its collections in the fields of women's history, spirituality and health, religious studies, 19th-century history, architecture, and journalism. Eligible applicants include doctoral and postdoctoral scholars, faculty members, independent researchers, and graduate students. Fellowships are available for up to eight weeks. Fellowship awards are based on "scholar weeks" and are offered in the amount of $700 per scholar week.

American Historical Association Research Grants and Fellowships

Next Deadline: Feb 15, 2012
http://www.historians.org/prizes/Grants.htm

Supports several small research grants (up to $1,000) in the following areas: history of the Western hemisphere; colonial American history, with particular reference to the intercultural aspects of American and European relations; U.S. legal history and the field of law and society; and history of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Only AHA members are eligible to apply for these grants. Also supports two fellowship programs (one award per fellowship) in the areas of American History and Aerospace History.

Eisenhower Foundation Abilene Travel Grants Program

Next Deadline: Feb 28, 2012
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/travel_grants.html

Supports travel to Abilene, Kansas, not to exceed $1,000, where researchers may use the Dwight D. Eisenhower presidential library. Allows research of primary sources in history, government, economics, communications, and international affairs.

Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute Grants-in- Aid at The Roosevelt Library

Next Deadline: Feb 15, 2012
http://newdeal.feri.org/FERI/gnt.htm

Grants-in-Aid provide up to $2,500 for research on the "Roosevelt years" or closely related subjects. Funds are awarded to defray living, travel, and related expenses while conducting research at the Roosevelt Library. Preference for young scholars and to scholars from emerging democracies and the Third World. Deadlines are 2/15 and 9/15 annually.

National Council for Eurasian and East European Research Grants and Fellowships for Eurasian and East European Research

Next Deadline: Feb 15, 2012
http://www.nceeer.org/Programs/programs.php

Supports humanities and social science policy research on Russian, Eurasian and East European social, political, economic, and historical development. National Research Competitions (2/15) support collaborative and individual research. Hewett Policy Fellowships (3/16) support research under a U.S. government agency. Short-term Travel Grants (4/16, 12/16) and other awards also available.

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in Fine Arts Grant Programs

Next Deadline: Feb 25, 2012
http://www.grahamfoundation.org/foundation/grantguidelines.asp

Offers two types of grants in architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society: Production and Presentation Grants, and Research and Development Grants. These fund individuals and organizations in support of production related expenses necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation and provide seed money for research-related expenses such as travel, documentation, materials, supplies, and other development costs. February deadline is for organizations; September deadline for individuals.

Association for Asian Studies Asian Studies Grants and Fellowships

Next Deadline: January 31, 2012
See: http://www.asian-studies.org/grants/main.htm

They offer several grants to support the research of North American scholars to improve the quality of teaching about Asian cultures at the college and pre-college levels. Grant amounts, details and deadlines vary according to program.

FYI
The Association for Asian Studies has included a very helpful document on their website entitled, "Securing Funding for Asian Studies: Dispelling the Mysteries." The document is a product of a forum a their annual meeting in Philadelphia last year. You can find the document at: http://www.asian-studies.org/Funding.pdf

Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Conference/Seminar/Workshop Grants and Publications Subsidies

Next Deadline: February 15, 2012
Go to: http://www.cckf.org/e-dornation.htm

The Foundation's programs encompass four regions: the Domestic region (Taiwan), the American Region (the United States, Canada and Mexico), the European region, and the Asia-Pacific region (including Hong Kong and Macau). Programs in the Domestic and American regions commenced in 1989, followed shortly by the European region in 1990 and the Asia-Pacific region in 1991. Go to the website to find out more information on your particular region of interest.

Partner University Fund American and French University Partnerships

Next Deadline: February 6, 2012
Go to: http://facecouncil.org/puf/thefund/

PUF was established in May 2007 under the auspices of the FACE Foundation, NYC. Thanks to the generosity of private donors and contributions from the French government, PUF launched its first call for projects in September 2007 with the objective of supporting innovative and sustainable partnerships between French and US institutions of research and higher education. With close to 70 applications representing more than 130 French and American universities and research institutes, the results of the first call for project confirmed both the readiness of institutions across the Atlantic to build a new generation of partnerships, and the fitting of PUF as an innovative means for that purpose. Grants provided by the Partner University Fund support research and graduate education partnerships between French and American Universities with emphasis placed on novel, innovative and, interdisciplinary projects when relevant.

Environmental Protection Agency Urban Waters Small Grants

Due: January 23, 2012
http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/funding/

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for projects that will contribute to improved water quality in urban areas. The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants is to fund research, studies, training, and demonstration projects that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities. In general, projects should promote a comprehensive understanding of local water quality issues; identify and support activities that address these issues at the local level; engage, educate and empower communities surrounding the urban water body; and benefit surrounding communities including those that have been adversely impacted by the water pollution issues affecting the urban water body. The statutory authority for the cooperative agreements to be funded under this announcement is Section 104(b)(3) of the CWA, 33 USC §1254(b)(3). CWA Section 104(b)(3) restricts the use of these cooperative agreements to the following: conducting or promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Projects that are demonstrations must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches. EPA expects that the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not considered a demonstration project. For proposals that include demonstration projects, the applicant must describe how the project meets the above requirements. Implementation projects are not eligible for funding under this announcement.